Goods of relatively small size are typically transported using wheeled dollies which are platforms mounted on wheels or castors. Goods are stored in containers that fit into the receptive platform. Upon transportation or temporary storage, the usually boxlike containers are stacked onto dollies whose wheels enable easy handling by hand. The shape and size of the dollies are usually standardized to conform advantageously to industrial container models. While the dollies may be moved about by hand, there is also a need to transport a plurality of dollies at once. Such a need occurs e.g. when loading or unloading a trailer or a lorry. If a trailer is loaded dolly by dolly, the long duration of the operation consumes valuable docking time not to mention inflicted gratuitous vehicle idle time. Also, when transported individually, the dollies require thorough and tedious trussing up to prevent unintended movement within the load space. To tackle these disadvantages, adaptor pallets have been developed. These adaptor pallets are usually rather flat and include a deck that has an upper support surface to accommodate a plurality of wheeled dollies, tracks to guide the dolly wheels, means for supporting the deck a certain distance above ground, receptive slots to receive the lifting forks of a forklift.
There is also a need to secure the dollies to the adaptor pallet. Many different securing devices have been developed over time but existing securing methods may be divided into two main types. The first type is an adaptor pallet having an open loading end, whereby the dollies are secured to the pallet by operating special locking fins or similar locking elements which are toggled between locked and released position by manipulation means which may take the form of a foot-operated lever or a hand-operated handle. A foot-operated lever is preferred for leaving the operator's hand free to manipulate the loaded dolly. While the open end type adaptor pallet is advantageous in that it is easy to use, the manipulation system for toggling the locking elements may be quite complex making the adaptor pallet expensive to make and buy as well as heavy and eventually vulnerable to failure. As adaptor pallets are used in logistics, it is paramount that the appropriate tools are as robust and reliable as possible but also easy to use.
The second type of is a closed end adaptor pallet which does not feature separate locking and manipulation means but a simple ramp which may pivoted down for loading the pallet and up for closing the loading end of the pallet. Such a pallet is disclosed in DE 20 2006 007 202 U1. The second type of adaptor pallets is indeed very light and robust but it suffers from awkward user interface in that the locking ramp must be operated by hand, wherein a combined rotation and lifting motion is required to negotiate the ramp. Accordingly, the operator must dedicate at least one hand to securing the cargo while holding the dolly stationary with the other hand while crouching down.